392
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1859
doctor had been spoiled for him by military activities, so he entered politics, and was elected to the Texas Senate in 1844, whereupon he moved his family to Austin. At the beginning of the Mexican War he enlisted, and soon became an adjutant in John C. Hays's second regiment of rangers. He commanded a spy company which accompanied General Scott's army on its march to Mexico. After the Mexican War, Ford edited newspapers at Austin and elsewhere, but could never content himself to stick closely to newspaper work at any place; so in 1849, he was to be found helping Major Robert S. Neighbors to lay out a road from San Antonio to El Paso and on to Santa Fe. On the death of General Edward Burleson, December 25, 1851, Ford was elected to fill the vacancy in the Texas Senate, caused by Burle- son's death. In 1858, Governor Runnels placed him in command of the Texas frontier, and he fought in the spectacular battle of Antelope Hills, which resulted in the death of the noted Comanche Chief, "Iron Jacket," and the complete rout of his band. In 1859, Ford served on the lower Rio Grande during the Cortina War. In 1861 he was elected a member of the Secession Convention, from Cam- eron County, although, at the time he was a resident of Travis County; but upon being appointed colonel of the State troops, he resigned his position as delegate to the convention. He was in command of the expedi- tion to Fort Brown, which resulted in the surrender of the Federal forces there. His regiment, the Second Texas Mounted Rifles, was mustered into the Confederate service, and during the Civil War operated along the lower Rio Grande. He was second in command at Los Palmitos, fought, May 13, 1865, near the old battle field of Resaca de la Palma, in which the Federals were defeated, this battle being the last action of the Civil War. After the war had ended, Ford was a member of the State Constitutional Convention, and of the Senate of Texas. During the four years of Governor Roberts's administration, he served as superintendent of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum. He died in San Antonio, on November 3, 1897, aged 82 years. As a Texas ranger he has always been considered the peer of any man who has ever served on the Texas frontier. See Ben C. Stuart, Texas Fighters and Fron- tier Rangers, 220-221; George Plunkett Red, The Medicine Man in Texas, 152-153; Thrall, A Pictorial History of Texas, 539-540; Biographical Souveni?- of Texas (1889), 299-303; The Encyclopedia of the New West (1881), 356-359; Biographical Encyclo]Jedia of T<>xa.s (1880), 47-48; John S. Ford, Memofrs (MS.), The University of Texas Library. 2 Alexander Campbell Hill. See sketch under succeeding document. 3 Juan Nepomuceno Cortina (interchangeably, even by himself, written Cortinas) was born in Camargo in about 1826, and died in the City of Mexico in 1895. He was one of the most notorious ruffians who ever ter- rorized the Texas side of the Rio Grande. Cortina spent his early life on a ranch owned by his mother, about nine miles above Brownsville, Texas. In early life he was regarded as a citizen of Texas, and at one time he was even regarded as a political power in Cameron County, his "influence" being considered worth fifty votes for the candidate whose cause he espoused. In 1847, during the Mexican War, he was engaged by Mr. Somerville to buy mules and having purchased a drove, he started with Somerville for the interior. On the way he murdered his employer, and sold the mules at Brazos Santiago, to the United States Government. Although he was·
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